Three Stands Safety Tips
There's no doubts about it, hunting from an elevated position gives you an edge and increases your success rates, especially if you properly scouted the area, furthermore, if you are hunting in group, several elevated positions increase your group's range amazingly.
That's why tree stands are so popular, particularly among deer and wild boar hunters, however despite of their obvious advantages, the truth is that most of accidents and deaths during hunting raids are not related to firearms injuries but falls from stands.
Most of times the reason behind it usually is misuse or not compliance with basic safety rules; evenmore, some hunters are not up to day within tree stands safety regulations and continue to perform as they did 10 years ago, but what once was safe, today might not be.
With the above in mind, we offer a compilation of current safety rules to keep you and your teammates safe when hunting from a tree stand.
First thing to keep you safe is total awareness of what is safe and what 's not, so read carefully below to keep updated your safety plan on the trees.
Safety Topics Related to the Tree:
Once you have properly scouted the area and have decided where to place your tree stand, it's time to choose a tree to do so; this is the moment to remember:
1. Use only living, healthy trees
Dead or weak trees as those looking bad and sick are not a good choice because they might collapse due to the combined additional weight of both stand and hunter; moreover, some trees might not resiste neither the stand alone, so choose a tree in good shape.
2. Select a proper sized tree
Each manufacturer recommend a particular tree size according to the stand features. Read instruction thoroughly and look for such critical information, being sure to comply with manufacturer's requirements regarding tree size, otherwise your tree stand installation will not be sure, jeopardizing not only your wellness but also your life.
Safety Topics Related to the Equipment
As any other mechanical gadget, tree stand may wear and tear, fail or have any kind of problem, especially after several years of use, so proceed properly with your gear inspection before use, otherwise the first sign of problems may be a fatal fall.
1. Read Instructions Carefully
This is particularly important when you are using a tree stand which is not familiar to you for the first time. In this case it's mandatory to read manufacturers instructions and be completely sure you understood everything.
Even in the case of old tree stands used by years, in case of any doubt you must ALWAYS refer to the instructions manual, so keep it at hand.
2. Routine Gear Inspection before EACH Use
No matter how much time it consumes, this is a critical safety steps. Before moving to the bushes you must perform a thorough inspection of your tree stand looking for signs of wear and tear.
Replace any damaged or teared part and keep all the gear on the best possible condition. Remember that your life depends upon the stand integrity and the time to check it is at home, not when you are on the hunting ground with no replacement parts available.
3. Be Aware of Gear/Gear Components Expiration Dates
As any other mechanical gadget, tree stands may suffer from fatigue and wearing, so more than one component probably will need regular replacement according to its intended time of use.
You must be fully aware of useful life time of each of your tree stand and replace each one when necessary; moreover, after a given period of use you will probably need to replace the whole tree stand.
Safety Topics Related to your Own Behaviour
Regardless of your tree stand quality and proper installation, your behaviour when using a tree stand remains paramount for your safety, so proper use and technique remains critical to keep you safe on the heights.
If you wish to know how to keep you safe when using a tree stand, please take a look to this post!
